Wonderfully Uncomfortable. Normally those seem like a contradiction in terms but I have found that it is the best way to describe Ghana. It is uncomfortable to sit in a tro tro for hours while someone is preaching in twi. At the same time though it’s wonderful, to see the excitement and joy with which Ghanaians approach a trip that anyone else would see as long and frustrating. It is uncomfortable to be pointed out for being white constantly and to be overcharged, but at the same time it is wonderfully to experience the openness about race. I find it uncomfortable to have every taxi and tro tro driver asking me “where are you going” but it is wonderful to watch as they consistently stop what they are doing and get you where you need to be even if it is not with them. It is uncomfortable to sleep in intense heat under a mosquito net, but it is wonderful to be grateful for that—knowing that so many are out in the open without a fan. It is uncomfortable to be sick and miserable to have malaria, but it is wonderful to have firsthand experience of a health care system that is not like my home experience. It is uncomfortable to sit in hard wooden chairs during a 2 hour straight lecture, but it is wonderful to be in a class of Ghanaian’s and understand the education system. It is uncomfortable to go without showering because of a lack of running water and to know that even if there is water, it will be cold. However, it is wonderful to be thankful for every cold drop of water that helps was away the dirt, dust, and sweat inevitably covering you every day. It is uncomfortable to eat and drink food that I do not like because it is being offered to me and it would be rude to turn it down. But it is beyond wonderful to experience the hospitality and invitation of chiefs and others who by most standards are “poor”, but are wealthy in giving, love, and generosity.

I would not trade this semester’s experiences for the world. I have never been more uncomfortable in my life. But I finally understand that uncomfortable is not inherently a bad thing, in fact here it is WONDERFUL!